Tag: gordon ramsay gravy recipe

Brussels Sprouts with Warm Bacon Dressing and the Holiday Side Dish Dilemma

As I enjoyed this very tasty Brussels sprouts with warm
bacon dressing recipe, I was reminded Thanksgiving side dish decision time is
rapidly approaching. It’s that annual dilemma where we’re forced to choose five
or six recipes among hundreds of potentially awesome options.

What makes this decision so tough is that you want things
that are traditional and comforting, but at the same time, want to keep the
menu fresh and interesting. You love those buttery mashed potatoes, and yet
you’ve wanted to make twice-baked potatoes for years. You always make Grandma’s
chestnut stuffing, but that spicy cornbread version you saw on Pinterest sure
looks amazing. What do you do?

Do what I do; keep the starchy cornerstones classic, and
switch up the vegetable sides instead. Go ahead and do your favorite and
familiar potato, stuffing, and gravy recipe; but when it comes to tired old
dishes like green bean casserole, or peas and carrots, let your freak flag fly.

As long as you have a few comfort food favorites around,
people will forgive a little experimentation, and this creative, un-cooked
Brussels sprouts recipe would fit the bill. I love the contrast between the
raw, crunchy vegetable and the rich, smoky, sweet and sour dressing. This would
do any turkey proud.

While I decided to go raw this time, you can certainly turn
this into a hot side by giving it a quick, stir-fry in a large skillet. Just a
minute or two, until it starts to wilt, and you’re good to go. Anyway, I’m not
sure if I made your side dish selection simpler or more complicated by showing
you this new and exciting offering, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You
always do. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4-6 servings:
1 1/4 pound Brussels sprouts (will make about 1 lb. trimmed
and sliced)

1 tbsp vegetable oil

4 oz bacon, sliced

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1 lemon juiced

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of cayenne

A Thanksgiving Side Note

Thanksgiving is almost here, and we’ll assume you already have a great turkey and gravy recipe, so today we are focusing on the side dishes (btw, if you are still sans bird recipe, don’t panic, and just check out our critically acclaimed, two-part video series, How to Make Turkey and Gravy).

Everyone knows, it’s not a great turkey that makes the meal, it’s what you pair it with. What good is a beautiful bird sitting next to a bunch of so-so sides? With that in mind, here’s a little collection of thanksgiving appropriate dishes from days gone by. Don’t let the poor producton value on the older videos fool you, these are some great sides, and would make a lovely addition to your holiday spread. Enjoy!

Creamed Spinach

Creamy Corn Custard

Pecan and Apricot Sourdough Bread Stuffing

Green Bean and Blue Cheese Gratin

Lime and Chipotle Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Celery Root and Potato Puree

Cold Broccoli Salad

Cheesy Broccoli Gratin

Butter Roasted Cauliflower

Ham with Red Eye Gravy – Something From Nothing is Something

In this age of cutting back on fat whenever and wherever we
can (and by “we” I mean “you”), we forget that throughout most of history, this
was the complete opposite. Fat was a concentrated, powerful fuel that literally
kept people going, and this red eye gravy is a little taste of those times.

The challenge in tough times is to make those greasy pan
drippings more palatable, more interesting, and more delicious. It’s not like
families struggling through the depression had pots of demiglace reducing on
the stove, or bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon sitting around to deglaze their
cast iron skillets – heck, they probably didn’t even have a decent Merlot. So
they used what they had; like a splash of leftover coffee.

Is this a recipe that would have been developed based solely
on how awesome it tastes? Probably not, but that’s not to say it isn’t still
very tasty. It is. The way the bitter coffee marries with the sweet, smoky fat
is far from unpleasant, and infinitely better than simply pouring the pan
drippings over your food.

By the way, the name apparently comes from the fact that
when the sauce is poured in a bowl and brought to the table, the fat and coffee
separate, it takes on the appearance of a big, reddish eye. Of course there’s
another legend about how General Andrew Jackson told a hung-over cook to make a
gravy for his ham that was as red as his bloodshot eyes.

I’m pretty sure whoever made up that story also had very red
eyes, but not from whiskey. Anyway, like I said in the video, I did this as
more of a culinary experiment than a “you have to try this” recipe, but
regardless, I think it’s an interesting dish, and one I’d be interested in
hearing about if you do try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 portions:

1/2 cup of chopped fatty ham scraps

1 tbsp vegetable oil

4 thick slices of ham

1 tsp flour

about 2/3 cup black coffee

black pepper and cayenne to taste